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On NBC's "Main Event" on February 5, 1988,
Andre The Giant defeated Hogan for the WWF title in
Indianapolis, IN. Afterwards, Andre sold the title
belt to Ted DiBiase, but the title was eventually
declared vacant.

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On December 13, 1989, Andre The Giant and Haku defeated
Demolition in Huntsville, AL for the WWF World Tag
Team title.

He
was the largest athlete the world had ever seen, and
was professional wrestlings most famous attraction
throughout the 1970s and much of the 1980s. Standing
74 and weighing between 475 and 540 pounds
over the course of his career, he truly earned his
nickname of The Eighth Wonder of the World.

By
the time he was 12, the boy stood 63 and
weighed in at 200 pounds. This was due to the fact
that he was born with acromegaly, a disorder that
causes the bones to grow at an accelerated rate, and
to continue to grow beyond the age of physical maturity.

Determined
to use his abnormal size to his advantage, Andre entered
the world of professional wrestling as a very young
man. At the beginning of 1973, the 27-year-old Rousimoff
came under the wing of Vincent K. McMahon and the
World Wide Wrestling Federation. Though the company
would change dramatically, Andre would remain with
the McMahon family for the next 20 years.

In
an era when the sport was very regionalized, Andre
the Giant became one of the rare exceptions: a performer
who was at the top of the card wherever he went, a
major star who was known to fans in every territory.
His crossover celebrity status was such that he appeared
as a guest on the Tonite Show, and even had a cameo
role on the Six-Million Dollar Man playing Bigfoot.

His
rivalries with the likes of Big Cat Ernie
Ladd, Don Leo Jonathan and Blackjack Mulligan are
the stuff of legend. At the WWEs 1976 Shea Stadium
event, he engaged in a boxer vs. wrestler confrontation
with Chuck Wepner, in which he hurled the Bayonne
Bleeder out of the ring and into the third row.
Four years later, he had his first encounter with
Hulk Hogan when the WWE returned to Shea. One of the
most memorable rivalries of the time was with Killer
Khan, who broke Andres ankle in 1981, leading
to the infamous Mongolian Stretcher Match
between the two. Through it all, Andre maintained
an incredible undefeated streak the likes of which
has never been seen before or since.

By
the mid 80s, his condition was beginning to
take its toll on his body. He was slowing down and
putting on more and more weight. Still, he remained
an integral part of the WWEs national expansion
during the era of Hulkamania. He was victorious over
Big John Studd in the Bodyslam Challenge at the first
WrestleMania in 1985, and added to his record for
most battle royals won by surviving just such a match
the following year at WrestleMania 2.

His
career took an alarming turn in 1987 when he turned
on his long-time friend Hulk Hogan and hired Bobby
The Brain Heenan as his manager. The result
was his first-ever shot at the WWE Heavyweight Championship.
With 93,173 fans in attendance, Andre clashed with
the Hulkster at WrestleMania III in the biggest match
of all time.

Andre
did finally win the title from Hogan in a controversial
match the following year, only to give it up moments
later. He also held the WWE Tag Team title with
Haku for a few months in 1990. But much more than
those accomplishments, Andre will be remembered
for the years he reigned supreme as the most famous
Superstar wrestling had ever produced. He finally
succumbed to his life-long illness in 1993, and
shortly thereafter became the first inductee of
the WWE Hall of Fame. Truly a fitting honor for
the one and only Andre the Giant, the Eighth Wonder
of the World.